HomeMy WebLinkAbout04.d. Receive report on recent meetings of the Bay Area Clean Water Agencies (BACWA) Page 1 of 3
Item 4.d.
CENTRAL SAN
July 26, 2021
TO: REAL ESTATE, ENVIRONMENTAL AND PLANNING COMMITTEE
FROM: LORI SCHECTEL, ENVIRONMENTALAND REGULATORY COMPLIANCE
DIVISION MANAGER
REVIEWED BY: JEAN-MARC PETIT, DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNICAL
SERVICES
ROGER S. BAILEY, GENERAL MANAGER
SUBJECT: RECEIVE WRITTEN REPORT ON THE MOST RECENT MEETINGS OF THE
BAYAREA CLEAN WATER AGENCIES (BACWA)
BACWA Executive Board Meeting: July 16, 2021
Key Discussions:
Nutrients: BACWA continued discussion on key tenets and potential nutrient trading. BACWA agreed to
have legal analysis of potential nutrient trading and if the legal analysis is favorable, then BACWA would
look to a consultant with experience in this area to help understand approaches that can be taken.
Members will also hear from nearby agencies who have already established trading programs like the
Laguna de Santa Rosa Watershed.
Triennial Review of the San Francisco Bay Basin Plan (Basin Plan): BACWA submitted a draft
comment letter due July 8, 2021. The Regional Water Board will be prioritizing the Basin Plan
amendment for climate change and the wetlands fill policy.
Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS): Results from Phase I were shared. Excluding both San
Francisco treatment plants, all plants had comparable results. Biosolids values are one order of
magnitude higher than effluent values.
BACWA Executive Board Meeting: May 21, 2021
Key Discussions:
Nutrients: BACWA is continuing to work on the development of key tenets for the third Nutrient
Watershed Permit and nutrients will be one of the topics of discussion for the next regular meeting with the
Regional Water Board on June 2, 2021. It's still to be determined whether the permit will extend an extra
year beyond the 2024 permit end date. BACWA Executive Director shared that Lisa Hunt was hired at the
San Francisco Estuary Institute as the new Nutrient Management Strategy Program Manager. BACWA
held its membership nutrient strategy group meeting on May 24, 2021 where the group focused on interest
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level for a potential nutrient trading program in the future when management actions in the form of load
caps move forward.
Draft Sanitary Sewer System (SSS) Waste Discharge Requirements (WDR): BACWA is working with
the California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA)to resolve differences with the State Water
Board in several areas of the permit including reporting, exfiltration, and the Sewer System Management
Plan. They are working on proposing alternative language to facilitate changes to the draft. They are
planning to meet in late June with the State Water Board to go over industry proposed edits.
Basin Plan Triennial Review. The three-year cycle for reviewing the Basin Plan is in process. The
Regional Water Board has issued a document that lists the projects they plan to work on for the next three
years. There will be a workshop with the Regional Water Board on the triennial review and comment
letters are due on July 5, 2021 and BACWA will draft a letter.
Air. BACWA Consultant, Sarah Deslauriers, updated the Board on draft amendments to Bay Area Air
Quality Management District (BAAQMD) Rule 2. The BACWA AIR Committee recently provided
testimony at a public workshop regarding this rule, which proposes no new sources of air pollution in
overburdened communities and changes to risk analysis in permits. BACWA submitted comments to
BAAQMD on May 28, 2021. The Board also discussed new Best Available Control Technology for large
emergency diesel engines and were briefed on process, communication issues, and publicly owned
treatment works planning process considerations. BAAQMD and BACWA leadership engagement on
this issue began in December 2020. The BACWA Air Committee is looking to schedule another meeting
on these issues with BAAQMD this summer.
BACWA Executive Board Meeting: June 18, 2021
Key Discussions:
Nutrients: As BACWA is preparing to draft its key tenets for the third Nutrient Watershed Permit,
BACWA members discussed implications of subembayment aggregate load caps, how to calculate
compliance with future load caps, and the implications of exceeding load caps. Discussion was had on
whether BACWA should investigate nutrient credit/trading scheme and how can regulators incentivize
nature-based solution/ recycled water projects.
Basin Plan Triennial Review. BACWA is preparing a draft comment letter due July 8, 2021, related to
key issues on the Regional Water Board's priority list. For Nutrient Management Strategy and Dissolved
Oxygen Objectives in the San Francisco Bay, BACWA strongly supports updating the Basin Plan to
include a description of the Nutrient Management Strategy. Doing so would affirm the shared commitment
to a science-based process for protecting the Bay's beneficial uses. For the Climate Change and
Wetland Policy Update, BACWA supports the incorporation of climate change into the Basin Plan as
BACWA members have been examining the vulnerability of facilities to sea level rise, as well as ability to
help reduce greenhouse gas emissions with a broad portfolio of waste-to-energy programs.
PFAS: The final quality-reviewed data from Phase 1 of the regional PFAS study will be distributed to
study participants and there will be a presentation in early July 2021. PFAS Phase I I study concepts will
be presented at the September 2021 BACWA Executive Board Meeting to inform the development of the
Phase I I sampling plan.
SSS WDR Informal Staff Draft Update: BACWA worked closely with CASA on a joint letter and redlining
effort of the current WDR.
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BACWA Meetings and Upcoming Events:
• Next BACWA Executive Board Meeting: August 20, 2021
Additional I nformation/Monthly Bulletins: https:Hbacwa.org/bacwa-bulletins/
Strategic Plan Tie-In
GOAL TWO:Environmental Stewardship
Strategy 1—Achieve 100%compliance in all regulations, Strategy 3—Support regional development of local water
supply
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